Abstract [en]

This is an ongoing project where one community in Sweden, along with University West, are studying children's transitions between different school types. This school differs from others in the sense that different school types are placed in the same building. One of the aim is to promote cooperation between different school forms. In the first phase, children’s transition from preschool to preschool classes and to school was studied. The project is characterized by an attempt of deepening knowledge. The researches and the professionals have reflected upon children's transitions between preschool and preschool classes and the knowledge is based on current research and the teachers own experiences. The areas treated are routines for transitions, educational and social continuity, and opportunities for children to take part in and the transition between preschool and school. We have collected our data through a case study where one school is participating. The participating school has children from 3 years to 7 years. The investigation was formed as a research circle were some themes were discussed. The discussions were recorded and transcribed by the researchers. Benefits identified in the analysis is for example that most of the participating children know both the school environment and most of the teachers. This does not apply to all children, when some children are coming from other preschools when they start preschool class at age of six. It also emerges that the structure during handovers from preschool to preschool classes vary even if the community has some guidelines for how the information should be submitted. The professionals have different systems for educational documentation in the various school forms and documentation is not used in order to learn more about children’s learning processes. Focus of documentation in preschool is learning processes in which children participate. The information requested from school teachers however, concerns children’s social relations and information about children with special needs rather than knowledge about the learning processes in which children have participated. Even though teachers work in the same school, one conclusion in this study is that there are some discontinuity regarding for example tools for documentation, the process of children's learning, organization of groups and children's social relations. The study shows that children are quite used to participate and move between different groups before they start school. These transitions differ in many ways from the transition to preschool class and school and it is not considered when the teachers are planning the classes.